Dubai’s state-owned DAHC, Pfizer, AXDEV Group ally to enhance chronic illness care

UAE – State-owned Dubai Academic Health Corporation (DAHC), AXDEV Group, and Pfizer have signed a public-private partnership for improving chronic disease management.

It follows the emerging trends of world-class healthcare systems turning to proficient partnerships to reimagine business models and access new capabilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Backed by Pfizer Global Medical Grants, the partnership will leverage its members’ expertise and experience to develop an evidence-based chronic care model adhering to international standards.

This model will be refined to support the adoption of best practices and boost capacity development for patient care with chronic illnesses at the individual, team, practice, and health systems levels.

Through the Pfizer-supported partnership, Dubai will serve as a test bed to plan and implement the chronic care model.

These funds will be used to support the research, development, and execution of medical education activities, toolkits, and implementation science across multiple health centres in the city.

Dubai was identified as the ideal city for the research given its diverse cultural population and unwavering support of its academic health system from the Dubai Academic Health Corporation.

The findings will then be scaled to enhance chronic illness care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and North Africa.

This move aims to reorganise chronic illness care and provide critical tools and education for clinicians, allied health professionals, staff, and healthcare administrators.

As part of the strategic deal, DAHC will host the initiative at its medical university, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU).

Researchers based at MBRU will conduct clinical studies, with a focus on diabetes as a case example to apply and measure the impact of the interventions in four local health centres in Dubai.

The sizeable investment in Dubai comes at a critical time for the region as diabetes is a chronic illness that affects almost one in every five adults in the United Arab Emirates.

In line with the terms of the agreement, AXDEV will provide expert implementation research and project management across every step of the programme.

Moreover, the collaboration involving the Dubai Academic Health Corporation, AXDEV, and Pfizer aligns with their shared vision of improving patient health outcomes with evidence-based and quality education and implementation research.